I 'suffered' over Berlusconi attack: Sophia Loren

Rome, Dec 22 : Italian actress Sophia Loren has said she 'suffered greatly' over the vicious attack on Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in Milan.

"I feel very close to Berlusconi and I suffered greatly over the horrible act," Loren told Italian weekly Diva and Women.

"It upset me very much. It's as if my husband had been attacked," said the Oscar-winning actress in an interview with the weekly due to be published in its Wednesday issue.

Berlusconi spent several days in San Raffaele hospital after he was attacked by Massimo Tartaglia, who reportedly has mental health problems.

The attack left the prime minister with a broken nose and several broken teeth as well as heavy bleeding and other facial injuries.

Doctors have ordered him to have a complete break from politics until the new year and have said it will take the 73-year-old premier several weeks to recover fully.

Berlusconi is now at home at his luxurious villa at Arcore near Milan, where he is undergoing dentistry for his broken teeth and receiving further medical treatment.

In apparent defiance of doctors' orders, Saturday he had dinner at the villa with Economy and Finance Minister Giulio Tremonti and his ruling conservative People of Freedom party' junior coalition partner, Umberto Bossi, from the anti-immigrant Northern League.

Tartaglia was arrested immediately after the attack Dec 13 after he hurled an alabaster replica of Milan's cathedral into Berlusconi's face after a political rally, during which the premier had been heckled.

Prosecutors are investigating the incident but Tartaglia claims to have acted alone out of hatred for Berlusconi.

Tartaglia has also apologised to Berlusconi in a letter delivered by his lawyer.

Tartaglia was said to have written a letter apologising for the attack and expressing his regret for a "superficial, cowardly and rash act".